For Ian and Zachary Szerencsy, 17-year-old twin juniors at Roslyn High School, chess is far more than just a board game. It’s a way to focus, to connect and, more recently, to give back.
What started as a way to fill the gap left by the absence of a chess club at their school has now turned into a way to bridge intergenerational gaps and give back to their community.
The brothers launched Temple Sinai’s Intergenerational Chess Club in early 2024, after realizing their school didn’t offer one.
“We saw something missing, and thought, why not build it ourselves?” Ian said.
What started as a simple idea quickly turned into something much larger: a free, welcoming space where players of all ages can come together to learn and play.
“We knew how much joy and learning chess brought us. We wanted to create that for others too, regardless of age,” Ian said.
During the pandemic, Ian taught himself chess online, finding comfort and focus in the midst of isolation. He later began competing in both virtual and in-person tournaments across the country.
With the help of his twin brother, he decided to take that passion and turn it into something bigger. When the opportunity came through Temple Sinai’s internship program to start a club, they knew they wanted it to be open to everyone: not just students and not just temple members.
“Our goal was to make it truly intergenerational,” Zachary said. “Seeing a teenager and a senior citizen sitting across the board from each other, learning and laughing together, is exactly what we hoped for.”
The club launched with an event featuring instruction from Women’s International Master Elina Cotler and FIDE Master Igor Schneider. Since then, it’s grown to include monthly matches, lessons for all levels and in April, its first-ever charity tournament.
This year, the brothers added a new component to the club: service. They have recently fundraised for Beit Halochem, an organization that supports Israeli veterans with disabilities. They were drawn to it not only for its mission, but because one of its rehabilitation centers in Haifa runs a chess program for veterans. “It felt like a full-circle moment,” Ian says. “They’re using chess as a way to heal and connect, just like we are.”
Ian and Zachary have already raised over $2,000 for the organization through donations at club events and lessons, and they’re just getting started. They plan to host more tournaments, add a beginner series for new players, and continue to make the club a space where everyone feels welcome.
For more on their mission or upcoming events, follow @roslynchessclub.
If you are a student and have an interesting story that deserves to be shared, please contact reporter/writer Eliza Liebowitz at elizaliebowitz@gmail.com.
Eliza Liebowitz is a junior at Roslyn High School
